Home & Garden

Guide to Rice Cookers in Japan Rice is the staple of the Japanese diet and there’s no shortage of rice cookers (炊飯器 | すいはんき | suihanki) on the market that aim to make modern-day cooking as efficient as possible. This guide will walk you through the basic functions of a …

Okadaya Shinjuku is a great place to go to for textiles. They have two buildings; one with six floors of fabric (cotton, velvet, silk, satin, organic cotton, fleece, velor, wool, etc), traditional Japanese materials and other special textiles; and the adjacent building carries seven floors of basic materials (buttons, thread, string), …

Obento making is a daily occurrence in homes with children who attend Japanese yochien. We spoke to veteran obento making moms and these are their recommended obento making items. Many can be found at Toys R Us Japan, department stores like Aeon Style or on Amazon Japan. We have highlighted Amazon products below which …

We are busy building the new Best Living Japan Studio (Minami Azabu) which will be a professional cooking and seminar space for the Best Living Japan courses starting in January 2018. Our kitchen project lead us to Tenpos Buster (テンポスバスターズ) which is a cooks budget paradise.  Tenpos Buster sells dishes and glassware, pots …

Tsutaya Electrics in Futakotamagawa is my favorite place to sit back, relax and enjoy a good book with or without the kids while browsing their art, appliances, and home space. Located near the creative DIY Factory where you can learn, make, buy DIY products; the 100 Spoons Family Restaurant, Futakotamaga Park, Japanese …

Winter is just around the corner. Wanted to share my curated recommendations on preparing for winter – 10 Items to make living in Japan more comfortable. Below are products that have excellent customer reviews in Amazon.co.jp, and are shipped for free immediately from Amazon.  If you have your recommendations, please …

Wondering where to buy a Christmas Tree in Japan? Many people have asked recently about where to find a Christmas tree in Japan. First, you need to determine if you want a real tree or an artificial tree. There are pros and cons to both! Real trees smell amazing but …

Tokyo Urban Garden Planting Calendar – Autumn. Whether you`re an accomplished gardener or a novice, gardening is a great opportunity to partner with Mother Nature and bond with family and friends. Gardening teaches patience, care and offers a pathway to better health and nutrition. Our advice for novice gardeners is to …

If you are looking for art supplies for a school project, new crafting passion or a Halloween costume here is a short list of the best Tokyo arts and crafts supply stores.  I have listed up a few places that are my go to locations in Tokyo; many of these also …

I took the Tokyo Urban Garden balcony & vertical gardening class with Abi at her beautiful home in Yoyogi Uehara. What started as a project with my 6 year old – burying a sprouted potato in our planter and is now a sizable plant, blossomed into a quest for gardening knowledge. …

Kappabashi Kitchen Town, Tokyo is a cook’s shopping paradise. There are over 180 cooking, kitchen and restaurant supply stores extended over six blocks. Here even the kitchen sink is for sale – every pot and pan, serving dish, utensil, kitchen appliance that a cook can imagine. Kappabashi is located between Ueno …

The TOC Shopping Center is a bit tattered (built in 1970), but if you are looking for free parking and a one-stop for kids, baby, home and crafting items TOC is the perfect location. I shop at the TOC at least once every few months to stock up on kids/baby …

MUJI Flagship Store reopened their flagship store in Yurakucho over the summer and it`s awesome! The 3-story complex now holds an organic foods marketplace which offers fruits and vegetables direct from farms that use little to no chemical pesticides and fertilizers, packaged soups, condiments and so much more. They also …

The Spiral Market is a great store for stationary and home accessory lovers. The merchandisers have selected a beautiful selection of foreign and Japanese products that would fit in any design savvy home around the world. The Spiral Market is located on the second floor of the famous Spiral Building …

The Itoya Ginza Flagship Store is not just one of the Tokyo Must Shop places to spend hours shopping for Japanese paper (washi) and stationary and home accessories, but also has a great restaurant and in-house veritable garden. The Ginza Flagship Store (located on Ginza Dori) and second building directly behind …

If you need to stock-up for your new apartment or a new seasonal wardrobe for you or the kids, there are eleven greater Tokyo area outlet centers. Japanese outlets usually offer a 30-50% discount off of department store prices – although most of the product is made specifically for outlets …

Nitori is the IKEA or Bed Bath & Beyond of Japan selling affordable furniture and interior goods.  Nitori is a nationwide chain with more than 300 stores throughout Japan and around 50 stores outside the country. It’s a great place to shop if you are setting up a home in Japan or if you want to …

So if you have been in Tokyo for more than a few seasons and love clothes than you are probably ready and wondering how to donate or sell used clothes in Tokyo. We will be moving houses in about a month, so I am “purging” now. I DO NOT want …

MUJI Ebisu reopened their store at the new Atre Ebisu West building (an extension of the Main Atre Building) in April 2016 and it`s bigger and better than ever. This store occupies the fifth and sixth floors and carries the first makeup counter in the Kanto region. They hold about …

Søstrene Grene a Scandinavian design home accessories, kitchen ware, gifts, stationery and interior furnishings chain has opened their first store in Japan.  The store is located right off the main Omotesando strip behind Omotesando Hills. The store offers super value items from yarn, paint, and beads to candles and end tables for your apartment. …

FrancFranc Japan has over 100 stores and store with stores across Japan. The flagship store in Aoyama is my favorite location, but you can also shop in Japanese on their website and get free shipping on orders over 5,000 JPY.  The tremendous growth is due to the stylish and reasonably …

Tokyo is a clean city on the surface but the everyday pollution and fast pace of life can take a beating on your clothes, so here are our top Japanese laundry products to help you out. As a mom of four and a pet owner I highly recommend these Must …

My two favorite home shopping centers in Tokyo are D2 and Super Viva Home Center. If I need something quickly, I bike over to the local D2, but if I need a wider DIY selection a visit to Super Viva Home Center is the answer. If Home Depot had a …

Shopping in a Japanse supermarket can be overwhelming, but navigating the cleaning aisle can be a search in dispiriting. Don’t struggle any longer. I have probably tested every cleaning product in Japan and here is my recommend Must Have Top 10 Japanese Cleaning Products. If you miss your favourite home …

The Spiral Market is a great store for stationary and home accessory lovers. The merchandisers have selected a beautiful selection of foreign and Japanese products that would fit in any design savvy home around the world. The Spiral Market is located on the second floor of the famous Spiral Building …